Means for centering and aligning locomotive draft appliances



I). LOVE. MEANS FOR CENTERING AND. ALIGNING LOCOMOTIVES DRAFT APPLIANCES. APPLICATION man SEPT. 3, 1921.

'1,438,'771. Patented Dec. 12,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- INVENTOR Jill/71,0712 J Ora 0. LOVE. MEANS FOR CENTERING AND ALIGNING LOCOMOTIVE DRAFT APPLIANCES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1921.

1,438,??1 Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVE'NTOR fizz-man? Lareg,

DUEHONT LOVE, OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA.

Application filed September To (all whom it may concern: lie it known that l, DUMon'r Love, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Augustine, Johns County, Florida, have invented certain new and useful lmprove nents in Means for Centering and Aligning Locomotive Draft Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the adjustment of the means for creating draft in a steam locornotive, and has particular reference to a tool or which 1 have devised as an aid in accurately aligning and centering the draft or petticoat pipe in the of a locomotive.

To attain the best results in the matter of fire-box draft, it is not only essential that the draft pipe shallbe in general vertical alignment with the exhaust nozzle tip and staclcbut shall also be truly concentric therewith. l g i A draft pipe is of very considerable diameter, heigl'it and weight, and as the space within a locomotive iront end is closely restricted and difficult of access under ordinary circumstances the accurate location of draft pipe is a matter of much difficulty; and when not properly located, the error is certain to result in a poorly steaming engine and anexcessive consumption of fuel. It will be seen, therefore, that the proper location of the draft pipe is of special importance and, in practice, rarely attained.

My. invention comprises a draft pipe centering tool, of the construction and combination. of parts hereinafter described and claimed; and will hereadily understoodon reference to the accompanying drawings, in "which: Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection of a locomotive front-end, illustrating my invention; and Fig. 2 is a vertical crossscctio'nthereof.

Those who are skilled in the art will rrcognize in Figs. 1 and aconvent'ional locomotive front-end; comprising a sinoke 1m, 2, the stack 3, the table-plate, 4%, the diaphragm, 5, thenettin'g, .6, the draft-plate, T. the exhaust stand, 8, the exhaust-tip, 9, the pettieoat or are pipe supports 11. to the draft pipe. the agency of the The lugs, 10, belonging are adjustable through bolts-12, coacting with the slotted supports 11; The ends of the latter are likewise adjustably fastened to the walls of the smoke-box, usually in upright position, as shown in Fig. 2.'

front end to be adjusted laterally,

ft-1 ipe, 10, and the draft- 3, 1921. Serial No. $178,261.

The netting, 6, contains a small door or opening 6. This and the stack afford the only avenues of access to the space between the exhaust tip and the stack Yet the draft pipe, 10, must needs be carefully adjustec within thatspace, to ensure the best draft of the fire-box in the locomotive. It will now be obvious that the space is so restricted as to make the operation difficult even when the netting, 6, is entirely removed. Furthermore, the position and shapes of the several parts are so irregular and the construction so inaccurate as to make nice adjustment, a matter calling for the attention of a skillful workman. Again, the parts suffer distortion from the great heat to which they are subjected in the front end of the locomotive, and hence require occasional re-adjustment. i

I overcome the indicated difiiculties, first by providing a stooll l for temporarily supportingthe draft pipe at the correct distance above the exhaust tip, leaving it free as required to center it above the nozzle; and second, I provide means for ascertaining and ensuringthe precise central adjustment of the draft pipe above the exhaust tip, said means comprising a rotative gauge that is first centered with respect to the exhaust tip and the stack and is thereafter used to gauge the lateral and central position of the exhaust pipe. This second device is lowered through the stack. it is not alone rotative, but after being put in place may be raised and lowered as desired, to aid and ensure the correct positioning of both the lower and upper ends of the draft pipe. This stool 14, is made adjustable, in itself, to suit front-end arrangements of different kinds and proportions of locomotives.

.ln its best form, the aforementioned stool comprises two flat plates i l-14, and three or four separator bolts, 15, arranged at the corners thereof. The bolts are threaded and equipped with looking nuts, and obviously the height of the stool may thereby be adjusted to suit draft pipes which are to be adjusted at various heights above their e);- haust nozzles. The stool as a whole is small enough to allow it to be inserted through the door opening in the netting 6. At the center of each plate, 14, is a large hole, 16, for the reception of the hereinafter described centering tool. Theseholes are only slightly larger than the steam passage of the exhaust tip 9,, therefore the stool (either side up) may rest upon the top of the tip 9. Obviously the holes may be large enough to permit the tip to enterthe stool and thereby permit the same ,to rest upon the table-plate a. As here shown, the stool serves to sup port the draft pipe temporarily at the cor rect height above the table-plate, 4, of the exhaust tip 9. The Hat top of the stool, obviously, permits the draft pipe to be moved freely in any lateral direction, as may be required to center it over the exhaust nozzle.-

The centering tool proper comprises a centering plug, l7,'which, as shown, takes a temporary position within the exhaust tip 9. From this plug rises a long stem or spindle, 18, which is rigidly secured in the plug 17. On the part 18 is a hollow sleeve or pipe 19, of which 19 is the lower end. The

part 19 is free to rotate on the part 18 and is also vertically movable thereon. The height or length of the parts '18 or 19 is such as to reach to and beyond the top of the stack 3; andat that point they are held by a crossbar 20. The cross-bar has thumb screws 20 for temporarily securing it to'the stack to hold the upper end of the centering tool at the center of, the stack. Near the lower end of, the part, 19, is a perpendicular arm 21.

This arm is hollow and contains a gauge pin 22, which is adjustable within the arm 21;

in other words, the device which I employ is a. radius arm of adjustable length. A set screw 22, isemployed for fastening the pin 22 after adjustment.

Preferably the length of the gauge arm 'is first adjusted to accord with the radius of thedraft plpe, and then the centering tool is lowered through the stack, the plug QT seated in the tip and the cross-bar secured at the top of the stack. That having been accomplished, the workman proceeds to rotate the radius arm within the pipe, 10, moving the latter one way and another'until thegauge arm is permitted to make a complete revolution without interference from the draft pipe, As will be apparent, the

' lower end of the pipe, 10, will then be centrz-dized with respect to the exhaust tip; and is at once secured in place by tightening the bolts l2, and the bolts 1'1, at the lower ends of the supports 11. The sleeve portion, l9, bearing the gauge arm, 21., is then raised upon the spindle, 18, and the rotative gaugingoperation is repeated to center the upper end of the draft pipe. The latter is then permanently secured lay-tightening the bolts, 11'',

at the upper ends of the supports 11, and by tightening the bolts, 12, belonging to the upper end of the draft pipe.

These steps having been accomplished, the cross-bar or centering brace,20,-is first rcmoved and thenthe complete centering tool is lifted out through the stack. Next, the

bolts, 15, are backed down far enough to free the stool from the lower end of the fixed draft pipe, and the stool is removed from the front end.

I have here shown what is known as a topdraft arrangement of the draft pipe; but it will 'beobvious to thoseskilled in the art draft pipe with respect to a desired predetermined longitudinal axis, comprising means for supportlng saidpipe to permit lateral movement thereof and means fixed colinearly of the axis desired, said means being adapted for rotative movement to cause said pipe to assume a position such that its longitudinal axis is coincident with the longitudinal axis of said fixed means.

2. Apparatus for centering a locomotive draft pipe with respect to a desired predetermined longitudinal axis, comprising means for supporting said pipe to permit lateral movement thereof and rotatably mounted means extending through the pipe and fixed colinearly of the axis desired, and an element carried by said last named means adapted, noon rotative movement of the latter, to move said pipe laterally to a position such that its longitudinal axis coincides with the axis desired.

3. Apparatus for centering a locomotive draft pipe with respect to a desired predetermined longitudinal axis, comprising means for supporting said pipe to permit lateral movement thereof and rotatably .mounted means extending through the pipe and fixed to coincide with the desired longi tudinal axis thereof, and an element carried by saidlast named means, adapted, upon rotative movement of, the latter, to thereby. move the pipe laterally to a position such that its Longitudinal axis coincides with the axis desired.

r 4. Apparatus for centering a locomotive draft pipe with respect to'the longitudinal axis of the stack,-com'prising means for supporting said pipe beneath the stack, While.

permitting lateral movement of the former, a member fixed in a linecoinciding with the longitudinal axis of the stack and extending through the pipe, and means rotatably carried by said member and adapted, upon rotation, to contact the pipe and to cause it to assume a position such that its longitudinal axis coincides with the longitudinal axis of the stack, substantially as described. 5. Apparatus for centering a locomotive draft pipe with respect to the exhaust tip thereof, con'iprising means adapted to support the pipe above the tip, while permitting lateral movement of the pipe with respect to said tip, an element rotatably positioned in a straight line between the center of the stack and thecenter of the tip and passing through said pipe, and meanscarried by said, element whereby the rotation thereof will move said pipe laterally untilits longitudinal axis coincides with the longitudinal axis of said element, substantially as described.

.ripparatus for aligning a locomotive draft pipe with the stack and exhaust tip thereof, comprising means adapted to support the pipe above the tip and a rotatable member extending through said pipe and positioned in a line coincident with the longitudinal axis of said stack and tip, and means carried by said member whereby rotation thereof will move said pipe to a position such that its longitudinal axis will coincide with the longitudinal axes of said stack and tip, substantially as described.

7. Apparatus for aligning a locomotive draft pipe with the stack and exhaust tip thereof, comprising a stool adapted to temporarily support the pipe between the stack and tip, an element adapted to be rotatably secured at its ends and to extend centrally through said stack said pipe, a plug carried by the lowerfiend of said element and adapted to centrally project into said tip, whereby to position said element in a line coincident with the longitudinal axis of said stack and said tip, and a member carried by said element and adapted, upon rotation of the latter, to cause said pipe to assume a position such that the longitudinal axis of said pipe coincides with the longitudinal axis of said element, substantially as described. l

8. An apparatus of the character described, for use in centering locomotive draft appliances provided with a stack and with an exhaust tip having an axis co-linear with the axis of the stack, comprising a rod extending downwardly through the stack and draft pipe, a tapered plug secured to one end of said rod and adapted to project into the exhaust tip and to position the rod in a line coincident with the longitudinal axis of the stack and of said tip, a sleeve carried by said rod and rotatable thereon,and means carried by the sleeve and adapted to bear upon said pipe, whereby rotation of said sleeve will cause the pipe to assume a position such that the longitudinal axis of the stack, the pipe and the tip will be co-linear substantially as described.

9. An apparatus of the character described and downwardly through pipe,

comprising, tive stack, an exhaust tip and a draft pipe detached from. its permanent support, a member positioned upon said tip and sup- "porting said pipe, an element fixed against m a line coincident lateral movement and with the longitudinal axis of the stack and tip, and extending through said member and said pipe, and means carried by said element whereby rotation thereof will move said pipe laterally to a position such that its longitudinal axis coincides with the longitudinal axis of said element, substantially as described;

'10. An apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination witha locomotive stack, a draft pipe and an exhaust tip, of a perforatedstool mounted upon the tip and adapted to support said pipe to permit lateral adjustment thereof, an element extending through said pipe and having its axis fixed in a line coincident with the central axis of said stack and said tip and means carried by said element adapted, upon rotation of the latter, to impart radial pressure to the inner periphery of said pipe, whereby said pipe is forced to assume a position such that its longitudinal axis coincides with the longitudinal'axis of said element, substantially as described.

11. A centering gage for locomotive draft appliances, comprising a member adapted to extend longitudinally through a locomotive stack and through the draft pipe and into the exhaust tip of the locomotive, means for positioning said member in a line coincident with the longitudinal axis of said stack and tip, and means carried by said member, adapted, upon rotation of said means, to force said pipe to a position such that its longitudinal axis is coincident with the longitudinal axis of said member, substantially as described.

12. An apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination with a locomotive stack, a draft pipe, a stool for supporting said draft pipe and permitting lateral movement thereof, and an exhaust tip, of a rotatable member fixed against lateral movement and having its axis in a line coincident with the longitudinal axis of the stack and tip and extending through said and means carried by said member, and adapted, upon rotative movement of the latter, to impart radial pressure to successive points of the inner periphery of said pipe, whereby said pipe may be laterally shifted until it assumes a position such that its longitudinal axis coincides with the axis of said member, substantially as described.

13. An apparatus of the character de scribed compris1ng, 1n combination with a stack of a locomotive, a draft pipe, a stool for supporting said draft pipe and permitting lateral movement thereof, and an ex in combination with a lOCUlll0.

means carried by said sleeve whereby rota- ,tlon thereof may impart radial pressure to the inner periphery of said pipe, thereby causing the pipe to assume a position such that its longitudinal axls colncldes wlth the axes of said stack" and tip, substantially'as described.

14:. An apparatus of the character clescribed comprising, in combination with a stack of a locomotive, a draft pipe, a stool for supporting said draft pipe and permitting lateral movement thereof, and an'exhaust tip having a longitudinal axis coincident with the axis of said stack, a rod mounted in a line coinciding with the axis of said stack and tip, a sleeve surrounding said rod, and

adapted for rotative and vertical movement with respect to said rod and a'radlus arm carried by said sleeve whereby rotation thereof-may impart radial pressure to the inner periphery of said pipe,thereby causing the pipe to assume aposition'such that its longitudinal axis coincides with the axes of said stack; and tip, substantially as described.

ln'testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of August, 1921.

DUMONT LOVE. 

